KARLOVY VARY – Velya really wants to get out of Belarus. It’s 1996 and the nation is still struggling to transition from a socialist to a free market state. People are unemployed and Velya’s law degree doesn’t amount to much at the moment. So, the 22-year-old spends her nights DJ’ing in Minsk and dreams of traveling to Chicago, the mecca of house music. When she mistakenly puts down the wrong phone number on a visa application she takes a side trip that becomes the narrative thread of “Crystal Swan” which premiered at the 53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this past weekend and its the nation’s official Foreign Language Film Entry for this calendar year.
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The feature directorial debut of Belarus native Darya Zhuk, “Swan” begins with a tone that harkens to late ‘80s comedies such as “Something Wild” and “Who’s That Girl” (more on that in a minute). Vela (Alina Nasibullina, charismatic) is fooling around with her club party promoter buddy Alik (Yuriy Borisov, memorably quirky), but securing a visa along with the finances to get to America is foremost on her mind. Unfortunately, she still lives with her single mother (Svetlana Anikey, serving post-Soviet Cougar realness) who has one of the few safe jobs as a curator at a history museum. Her mother is deeply disappointed with Velya, however, as she can barely keep things afloat for both them which forces her daughter to keep stealing items in their home to sell for cash.
When Velya learns her best chance to get to the states is to have a well-paying job she forges an employment verification letter from a Crystal factory letterhead she’s bought on the black market. That’s where the problematic phone number comes into play. The American consulate will call to verify Velya’s story and if she’s not there to answer it could be years before she has a shot at securing the proper paperwork. That forces Velya to drop everything and head to Crystal Town, where the talented locals who create everything from glasses to chandalers are dependent on a company that can only pay them in some of the valuable crystal items they fashion to sell on their own.
Velya discovers the apartment the phone number belongs to is the home to a family getting ready for what she eventually learns is as close to a shot gun wedding as you’re gonna get with relatives still involved. They clan isn’t thrilled with Velya’s arrival in the midst of the madness, but the oldest son and groom Stepan (Ivan Mulin, unexpectedly charming) takes a liking to her and convinces his mother to let her wait by the phone for the call. Over the course of a few day Velya realizes that Stepan is not what he seems and it’s the young brother, Kostya (Ilya Kapanets, impressive), who may be the only person in the family she can trust.
Zhuk, along with co-screenwriter Helga Landauer, has fashioned a compelling setup. You immediately are transfixed with Velya’s nightlife world which finds her spinning at a club filled with discarded Soviet-era statues (a real thing in underground clubs in former communist bloc countries in the ‘90s) and Nasibullina often seems like she’s channeling late ‘80s Madonna in both style and attitude (or at least the attitude the pop legend was trying to portray on screen). Despite the tough environment there is a sense of fun and almost whimsy before she departs for Crystal Town. That’s when it all becomes a bit less interesting.
Perhaps it’s that Velya is waiting in Crystal Town for a day or two too long. Maybe Zhuk’s decision to have her truly hit her lowest emotional and economic point in the isolated town is a bit much. Maybe removing the farcical elements and getting more serious (or not pushing farcical enough) simply ruins the fun. And, for sure, one specific plot point takes the film in a much darker direction than expected without any sort of compelling resolution (clearly a creative choice that feels like a huge mistake). And if you’re a fan of the era’s house music you’ll even be disappointed to learn there isn’t as much in the movie as you’d hope for (Marshall Jefferson’s classic “Move Your Body” is almost on loop though) .
What there is, however, is Nasibullina and she makes you root for Velya despite all the character’s faults. And whether she’s rocking a blue hair wig or a long burgundy coat ensemble you’ll want to recreate next winter Nasibullina is simply too hard to ignore. Throw in some smart choices among the rocky road from Zhuk and as the credits roll you’ll find yourself wondering just what these talented ladies will do next.
Grade: B